


Memories

by john97



Category: A Discovery of Witches (TV), All Souls Trilogy - Deborah Harkness
Genre: Australia, Family, Gen, Griffin - Freeform, Memories, Vampires, Venice, familiar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 04:19:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17953475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/john97/pseuds/john97
Summary: This will be a collection of Baldwin’s memories and memories about Baldwin. Short stories about 500 words each.





	1. Parts of the past

**Author's Note:**

> The first part is an overview of the history of Baldwin as a whole. Marco, Mary, Luca and Grace are characters invented by fluffyvillain from https://archiveofourown.org/works/16466855/chapters/38564681 The remaining parts will not be related to “Baldwin's (saving) Grace”.

He doesn’t like kids, never doesn't really liked kids. Probably he simply doesn’t understand them. But perhaps because they can’t be controlled, they always want something and run somewhere, create chaos around themselves. He always liked order and hierarchy.

He doesn’t remember himself as a child, poorly remembers Rome where he lived when he was a human and almost didn’t remember Tuscany where he was born. He remembers the endless campaigns with the Legion, long marches, bloody battles. He liked such a life, he fought to live, lived like the last day, and never thought about eternity.

Then he couldn’t imagine that someday he would become an adviser to the kings, would make love to the queens, kill emperors, destroy cities and countries, lead armies.

When Philippe talked about vampires and offered eternal life, Lucius at first didn’t believe him. The first years of being a vampire, he pretended to be a human. Then people began to notice that he wasn’t aging, and his wounds, no matter how serious it were, always heal. Only then did he finally understand that he no longer fits into ordinary human life, the life of which he lived before.

It was much easier to take and curb the bloodlust than new life, and the need to keep people at a distance. Of course, he had a new family, new acquaintances, even servants.

He was provided with everything necessary, in return, he had to be part of the family, listen to his father and not contradict, appear — when calling and don’t have a children without father permission. There are only two rules: to come when the father calls and doesn’t multiply without permission - strange requirements. Vampires couldn’t have children, only to convert people. In time, Lucius found out about other species, there were only three vampires, daemons and witches.

Over time, father came up with new rules, gave new tasks. Lucius became Sigeric sometimes Christophe. The name Benoit he didn’t really like and stood out. After moving to France, he became Baldwin, he later used that name more often than others.

In France, he first thought about children. His stepmother - Ysabeau loved one kid in the village very much, always took with her, played with him all day. The kid's name was Matthieu. Matthieu’s father built a castle for Philippe. Matthieu admired Baldwin and his elder brother Hugh. Boy was shy or rather feared Hugh, but he was cheerful with Ysabeau, sometimes Baldwin was playing with him when Ysabeau brought him to the castle. Over time, they even became friends. Baldwin couldn’t even imagine that later Matthieu would become his younger brother, whom, to be honest, he simply hated most of the time. But when Matthieu was a child, Baldwin began to understand Ysabeau and her desire to have children, and he himself thought about how it would be to have his children. Children are human babies, not converted vampires. But then Matthieu grew up and such thoughts no longer visited Baldwin, because the children always grow up.

By that time he had become accustomed that only vampires could be close to him, in those days people rarely understood those who were different from them. During one of the wars staged by Philippe, Baldwin met the vampire Marco. This friendship lasted for centuries. Until Marco met the witch Mary.

Marco and Mary broke the rule of the father. Philippe was furious when he found out. There was no The Congregation at that time, but Baldwin’s father was against crossing species. But what is most surprising, Marco and Mary had a son. Before that, Baldwin had not heard of mixed-blood creatures. A half-breed was named Luca. It felt a force, the existence of which Baldwin didn’t even suggest.

Marco and Mary hid their connection for centuries, and their son inherited not only his mother’s witchcraft, but his father’s longevity, Luca’s children also received longevity. But then Baldwin found out what the witch hunt really means, he learned how his father destroyed the covenant breakers. Of course, Baldwin is angry, but he was able to convince his father not to pursue the descendants of Marco and Mary. Baldwin followed descendants, over time they became human, lost the ability to conjure and lived a short human life.

Baldwin over the centuries followed the family of a dead friend, came up with a legend about who they are and what they guard over his archive, of course, they followed some valuable things, but in fact it was just easier for him to keep track of them when he knew where they were and what they were doing. So it was until the next baby was born in the family. This baby named Grace.

Grace wasn’t an ordinary child, her blood sang, which meant that the witch was born again in the family. But there was something else, Baldwin didn’t understand this, he didn’t admit to anyone, but this kid frightened him and frightened what can she do in the future.


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baldwin thinks about the changes and about who will remember him

There were too many creatures in the home. Witches whose blood sings and sometimes screams. Daemons whose thoughts just jump out of their heads, so quickly they think. This terrible Sarah's cat, the cat always rubbed on his legs or jumped on his hands and buzzed like a motor, it seems only Matthew liked the cat. And the griffin, Gods, he just got used and adopted the dragon. Too many events for one decade.

He didn’t like Korra, he didn’t understand her nature and didn’t know what to expect from her, he never liked surprises.

The kids. This is strange, but he liked them. Cara and Phillip. Of course, he wasn’t used to the kids and their noise, but he liked them. Philip always want to hug Baldwin and feed him cookies, this kid always has cookies. And Cara, so serious for the baby, look with her dark eyes as if she knows all your secrets. So was Matthew in childhood. Baldwin and Matthew could then play for hours. Matthew's parents were afraid of Baldwin and didn’t understand how their son might like such a monster. Over time, Matthew probably forgot what he was like in his childhood or doesn’t show it. Even Baldwin now does not understand how they could have been friends at one time.

Baldwin didn’t remember his childhood well. The brain of a vampire is the human brain, and it is not designed for hundreds or even thousands of years of life, some things are forgotten and that which was important hundreds of years ago loses its relevance and is erased from the memory. Baldwin remembered the bright events of victory in battles and in financial transactions, conquered women and fallen enemies, wars he was won and old friends. Sometimes he wondered which of this he would forget and when. The modern world and technological advances made it possible to store huge amounts of information, but it didn’t convey emotions.

Some events Philippe's son wanted to remember, as accurately as possible, smells, sensations and touches and he wanted to be remember.

He wanted to know whether Cara would remember him, whether she would remember the good, how they played, or whether she would remember how he fought and argued with Matthew. With Cara Baldwin can play for hours, she is a small copy of Baldwin's brother. And it was alarming that it was she who took from Matthew and what is even worse than she could take from Diana. What magical abilities got Cara? When will another dragon or griffin appears, or maybe it will be a phoenix or a leviathan?

He didn’t find griffins and phoenixes, but he saw them in his father’s blood. As for the existence of dragons, he wasn’t sure until he saw Corra. And what if Cara's familiar is a fire-breathing dragon and burns the home? So far, only a couple of old vases that my father presented to Ysabeau have suffered because of the familiars. After the first vase, the family was very worried, and after the second, the de Clermonts were preparing for the storm, but Ysabeau only smiled.

Recently, Baldwin found out that Philip may also walk in time. Diana assured him that nothing terrible and she had already taken action, and linked Philip with Matthew, so that if one disappears, the second will also follow, and this is not Baldwin's problem. The problem was that Kara, too, could go away and get lost, disappear. To whom is Cara linked?

When Cara bit Baldwin, he was shocked not because she bit him, but because she could bite another vampire. Vampires always respond to attacks. But vampires are always adults, and can always stand the answer. Who else bites Cara?

How long will these kids live? If the baby gets into the past about 300 years ago, will she be able to come back or live in the past, will she live to the present?

“Nunkle!” cried Philip, returning Baldwin from the world of thoughts to the world of relatives.

Kid climbs on his uncle's lap and of course, there were cookies in his hand, and a griffin sat on the floor. The evening promises to be interesting.


	3. Once in Paris

Freyja's apartment in Paris, Miriam has not been here for about 70 years. Since Baldwin hid here from the world, reliving Philippe's death. Miriam remembers how her creator died and there was nothing that could help her.

Baldwin smashed furniture and didn’t want to see anyone. Miriam wanted to help him. She knew this pain and knew that it wouldn’t become easier, with time the pain would dull, but it would never pass.

She wanted to talk to him, console him, but she also knew that it was unnecessary for him, he wanted to kill. He tore several dozens of German prisoners until Matthew and Marcus stopped him. Then Baldwin hid here.

Miriam had no illusions about Philippe's son, she knew that he didn’t want to talk or listen. He only wanted to kill or be killed, creatures are so bad when their creator dies.

She appealed to instincts, Baldwin didn’t immediately respond, but nature took its toll. They didn’t make love, there was no caress, just lust, and bestial rage. Baldwin slammed into her body, bit wherever he could reach, leaving teeth marks. She bites too. These weren’t the bites of mate, he didn’t need her memories, but she his. 

He didn’t want to see her grief and know what an endless never-ending emptiness is formed in the heart with the departure of the creator. He didn't need tenderness and affection, he didn't need consolation, it was too early for this, just a distraction, to call for instincts, in this case, a good move.

After a few days he began to sleep, after a few more days they began to talk about distracting the topic, he asked what was happening in the world. They talked about which companies will go up with the end of the war, and which will not. They recalled the Crusades and recalled how they met in Acre then Baldwin mentioned Bertrand and then fell silent and closed on Miriam. Baldwin couldn’t apologize, so they simply remained silent, each with his grief. Over time, their sex became less rigid, they even started kissing, and they no longer bit each other appeared caress and foreplay.

They spent several weeks together in their closed little world, each of them experiencing their own grief. Miriam experienced the death of her creator again and remembered Bertrand. Baldwin tried to learn to accept the world without Philippe. Then they each went their separate ways, she kept the promise she made to Bertrand - to look after Matthieu de Clermont, Baldwin learns to live anew. He was still suffered for a long time, it took decades for the former haughty and impudent Baldwin to return - the son of Philippe de Clermont.

Now she is again in this apartment in the center of Paris, is going to create a new creature. The walls are painted and new furniture instead of broken. But the memories remain. She didn’t tell anyone about those weeks, she didn’t discuss it even with Baldwin since they haven't talked much at all.


	4. Australia

Baldwin arrived at the house of Matthew and Diana early in the morning, under the pretext of checking how his sister and stepbrother was doing, at the same time to remind Diana that she needed to read his mail.

Now he was sitting on the carpet in the library and pretending to help Diana with books. His sister compiled the catalog of Philippe's books. She found interesting specimens and forgot about everything for several hours, he had not the first time seen how books absorb Diana without a trace. Matthew at this time was building something near the river; this idiot seriously believes that their trickle can be turned into a channel for rowing.

About half an hour ago, in one of the books, Diana found Verin’s letter to Philippe. Diana saw in a letter some interesting historical fact and the world lost her. She, of course, asked Baldwin what the letter was about, and of course, she had no idea that Philippe could have been involved in this event. Sometimes Baldwin thought how naive a sister is and why she is surprised at something connected with Philippe. Baldwin realized long ago that “Philippe” and “impossible” are opposing and mutually exclusive concepts.

Philip with the griffin was in the kitchen, with Marthe. Interestingly Diana and Matthew, in general, would have survived and not starved without Marthe? Sometimes this question arose in Baldwin’s head and caused a smile. Now he was smiling, thinking about the interest of his relatives.

Becca played beside, it seems she was playing hunt. One of the teddy bears attacked the other teddy bear and bit the neck. Sometimes Becca’s bloodthirsty was disturbing to Baldwin. Diana and Matthew have not yet provided him with the results of tests for bloody rage. But being honest, he was glad that a bird or a dragon or another familiar was not dragged along behind Becca, and that Becca didn’t show magic abilities.

Becca began to yawn and rub her eyes. Baldwin looked at his watch, the dial showed half past one. It seems baby time to sleep. Baldwin didn’t know how to put the kid to bed. Diana was still fascinated by the letter Verin and checked dates in a letter with a reference book to Australia of the 17th century.

Becca, meanwhile, seems to be tired of teddy bears, and she climbed into his arms, with all her appearance showing that she is going to sleep, to sleep here and now.

 

* * *

 

“Yes, I was in Australia at the beginning of the 17th century, what surprises you so much?” Said Baldwin.

Diana looked at him with round eyes and could not believe it. Baldwin's sister was still amazed when she heard that someone from the de Clermonts was involved in this or that historic event.

“Do you understand I need to know more?” Asked Diana.

“I participated in one of the Dutch expeditions. Long and tedious swimming. If you want to know more, ask Verin, she also took part in the expedition. That is strange, but she is one of the few who liked the expedition. And, of course, Gallowglass was with us, ask him for details, he was also interested. And he was in Australia several times, before me, then for centuries pestered with his pirate stories.” Baldwin waved away. “And don't look at me as if you want to burn me.”

Baldwin and Diana sat in the kitchen. The witch drank coffee, the vampire drank wine. They just put the kids to bed, Becca fell asleep in Baldwin’s arms in the library, but Philip decided to run in the home before going to bed and he hide from Diana. But in the end, he decided to fall asleep. Baldwin liked to watch humans sleep and how human children sleep, and especially how his nephews sleep. He wanted to stay with kids for a while, but Diana took him to the kitchen and began to pester with questions about the book from his father’s library.

Philippe collected many libraries, but it was in this house that there were personal and important books for him. Also, here were books written by the de Clermonts. Letters that family members have been writing to each other for centuries, personal diaries and documents. Diana compiles the catalog but was very surprised every time she found another confirmation of the fact that the real history in the world was created by Philippe.


	5. Children

Baldwin sat in the kitchen with Diana and pretended to be bored. He answered her sister's questions, told her what she wanted to hear, and recalled. He recalled how he hunted with Philippe, sailed with Gallowglass and Fernando, where he traveled with his family.

Once he and Ysabeau ride from Rome to Egypt, It was the first century AD, his stepmother arranged a witch-hunt in Rome, and his father decided to send her for a while, and with her sent Baldwin. Baldwin then thought that his father was dissatisfied with him, and therefore father sent him away, but then Baldwin realized that he was sent to look after Ysabeau.

Stepmother and stepson then spent a lot of time together, got close to each other. Of course, Ysabeau didn’t become his mother, but before her, he had the other relationship with women, and with Ysabeau he almost became friends, they were brought together by common interests, common hatred. Philippe clearly didn’t expect, sent his son with Ysabeau, together they would arrange an even greater hunt. But to be honest, he liked Ysabeau, she loved and respected his father, and his father loved Ysabeau. After that trip, Baldwin understood his father. Ysabeau was an amazing woman, strong, intelligent, loyal to the family and a good hunter. Baldwin respected such traits more than all the sentimental nonsense that warm-blooded like to talk about so much.

Diana asked him about some nonsense, she has no idea what the family is really involved in. She doesn’t even know how many kings they crowned, and how many killed. How many wars they staged and how much wars they won. She thinks that sailing to Australia was a big event. Philippe started that expedition just to get rid of Baldwin and punish the son for killing a petty French count for whom Philippe had plans, or maybe he punished Baldwin for contacting a young princess for whom Philippe, too, undoubtedly had plans.

Although, no, for the princess Philippe punished his son later, sending to Australia a second time. Father knew that Baldwin didn’t like long voyages and Baldwin would be bored on the ship, he would be inactive for months. Father, of course, was right, these were terrible months.

Diana, meanwhile, didn’t let up, they had already reached the 18th century and the American Revolution, he told about Yorktown in 1781, and about the long voyage home. And about Matthew throughout the journey, said nothing about he became a father. But Diana seems to have heard this story. Probably, Matthew told. What else does she know?

“Did you have children?” Diana asked unexpectedly. “Sometime?” It was anxious as if she knew his secret. Diana looked at him with curiosity and was something in it that was disturbing as if she knew his secret.

“You ask me not about vampires?” Baldwin answered a question with a question. He wanted the question to be about vampires. Something was in this question bothered him.

“Of course not!” Diana answered, and immediately added. “I know about Miyako. I ask about children, human children, when you were a human.”

“As far as I know not.” Baldwin said.

“Maybe later, it wasn't your children. But you know how to handle children, I saw you with my children. This is clearly not the first time.” Diana objected. “You know how to hold babies, talk with them, take care. Don’t say that you googled, you have done this before. Once you had a child. Or maybe you have a child now.

Baldwin hid his surprise in a glass of wine. “You don’t know what you are talking about.” He answered. “She’s not what it seems. She’s not a child. It’s different.”

“So this is a girl.” Diana smiled.

“I see no reason to hide it. Miriam said Matthew went to look at her, so he knows and of course, knows Ysabeau.”

“Matthew told me there is a child, to which you sometimes run off.”

“She is mine!” Baldwin said running away from the kitchen up to the stairs, he heard Cara wake up and he didn’t want to talk with Diana anymore. “And I hate Australia and hate ships.”

 

* * *

 

 

Matthew with Becca in his arms entered the kitchen. Philip walked alongside and when he saw Diana, he asked to take him in her arms. The kid clearly felt injustice, in the morning Baldwin arrived and played for half a day with the children, which means Baldwin is carried Becca in his arms. Now Becca was in arms again, this time in Matthew’s arms.

Diana took the kid in her arms. "Something happened?" She asked Matthew. Matthew sniffed Becca's hair and looks displeased and even wary.

"Our daughter smells like Baldwin." Said Matthew. It sounded like something sad.

Diana wasn’t alarmed by the fact that the children smelled like relatives, she was a human and didn’t have a sense of smell like the vampire, but she didn’t see anything wrong with the smell of relatives. "They played together."

"Were playing!" confirmed Becca. And she added. "Nunkle said faex*." Matthew was on the verge of an explosion. Diana didn’t know colloquial Latin very well, but she could swear her brother taught Becca the wrong word for the child.

"Hello, family," Baldwin said cheerfully as he entered the kitchen. There was silence in the kitchen, silence before the storm. Becca pulled her hands to Baldwin. Philip tightened his arms around Diana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shit


	6. Venice

This time the Congregation managed to convince Diana they should hold a meeting. Baldwin even gloated a little he remembered how boring and how long the meetings lasted. But this time the reason was really serious. Matthew needed to go to Yale University, he had urgent business. Of course, he wanted to cancel everything, but Diana convinced him not to change plans. So Baldwin taking the opportunity offered to stay with Becca, but Diana unraveled his plan. Diana offered to go with her and the children to Venice, where he could spend time with Becca, and also with Philip. Ysabeau offered to leave Philip with her.

  
Diana didn’t agree with their proposals and offered everyone to go to Venice together.

  
Now they were walking around Venice all four together, Baldwin, Ysabeau and five-year-old twins. And of course, the bird was with them, this time the griffin was almost imperceptible. For people, they probably look like parents with kids. A blond boy by the hand with a blond mother, a dark-haired girl in the arms of her a redhead... Baldwin decided not to complete the thought.

  
They walked along the Piazza San Marco, Ysabeau complained about the heat and the terrible smell, as well as the mosquitoes, which fortunately wasn’t there now. Philip laughed at her stories about mosquitoes. Baldwin showed Becca the city and told his stories about this marvelous place, despite the congregation and his the unpleasant associations associated with the Congregation, he loved Venice, he loved almost all of Italy, and he talked about it all the time to Becca. Becca listened attentively and nodded, sometimes she asking questions about when there were events about which her uncle speaks. She asked: he was then an adult or a kid? Becca was always interested in when he was a kid.

  
“From that tower, there is a view of the whole city, at night an amazing sight opens from there, you can see the lights of the Grand Canal and the ships entering the city,” Baldwin said pointing to St Mark's Campanile on the opposite side of the square. “This tower was built as a lighthouse for ships entering the city.”

  
“He was on this tower with the girls and told them stories too.” Ysabeau commented. “He always liked to climb high in the mountains, on the towers, on the masts of ships.”

  
Baldwin wanted to retort that he didn't climb the masts of the ships, but Becca asked a question.

  
“What was her name? Was she like us? Or like my mom? ”Baldwin and Ysabeau turned to the baby. “The girl with whom you looked from the tower on the city,” Becca explained.

  
“She was human. Her name was Carla, that means brave.”

  
“She was very brave. She tried to steal his dagger, he so admired her audacity that he fell in love with her.”

  
“They kissed?” Philip made a face.

  
“I think yes.” Ysabeau said.

  
“Don't listen to her,” Baldwin whispered in Becca’s ear. “She's talking nonsense.”

  
“I hear everything,” Ysabeau commented. “They climbed the towers together and ran over the rooftops.”

  
“Arsenal is visible from the top of the tower.” Baldwin continued. “Venetian galleys were built at Arsenal, the best and most powerful fleet at the time. Now there is a museum, and you can look at these great ships... "

  
They spent the rest of the day walking around the city, Baldwin told about his favorite places in the city, and Ysabeau told stories about Baldwin.

Becca asked what was Baldwin like when he was a kid, but Ysabeau didn't know Baldwin when he was a kid and couldn’t say anything.

  
In the evening, when Diana putting the kids to bed, Becca and Philip asked her to sometimes convene the Congregation to so they can see Venice again.


End file.
